Piscataquis County sheriff explains why jail failed to meet Maine DOC standards
By Russ Reed
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DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (WMTW) — A sheriff in Maine is offering an explanation as to why his county’s jail has been temporarily barred from housing inmates by the state’s Department of Corrections.
The Maine DOC announced Tuesday that it has restricted operations at the Piscataquis County Jail due to concern for the health and safety of staff members, inmates and visitors.
According to the Maine DOC, the health and safety concerns stem from the jail’s “substantial failure” to meet established detention and correctional standards. Officials said the jail’s failures included discrepancies in medical records, improper medication and sharps management, and not following infectious disease protocols.
The Piscataquis County Jail has been required to stop accepting new inmates and return all boarded inmates to their original facility. The Maine DOC also said the sheriff and jail administrator must create a plan of corrective action that either immediately addresses the health and safety concerns or transfers the facility’s population to other facilities until those concerns can be addressed.
In a statement shared Wednesday afternoon, Piscataquis County Sheriff Bob Young said the county jail did not meet all DOC standards because he told the jail administrator to focus on making the facility compliant with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
“In March 2025, we became PREA compliant. It’s a bear to tackle, especially for a small jail with employees who wear multiple hats,” Young said in his statement. “Months prior, I directed our jail administrator to make this her top priority. She did so and we passed this audit of over 300 standards. But during this period, the state compliance was not kept up with, hence our current situation.”
The Maine DOC said the failures were discovered during the Piscataquis County Jail’s recent biennial inspection, which was conducted from July 21-22. The inspection was originally scheduled to be conducted from May 27-28, but officials said a temporary extension was granted at the request of the jail administrator, who said she needed additional time to prepare for the inspection.
According to officials, the Piscataquis County Jail failed 11 mandatory standards and the Maine DOC was unable to review nine others due to a lack of documentation. The jail also failed one essential standard, and the Maine DOC was unable to review 61 others due to lack of documentation.
Young said that the jail immediately began making corrections in areas they failed and continues to do so.
According to a notice sent to the Piscataquis County Jail, Young and the jail administrator have until 3 p.m. Friday to email their plan of corrective action to the Maine DOC commissioner.
“We are continuing to correct the problem areas, and I am confident we will meet DOC standards in a relatively short time,” Young said in his statement. “In the interim, our inmates are safe, well provided for, and our corrections officers are faithfully carrying out their daily duties.”
The Maine DOC said the Piscataquis County Jail’s operating license will be revoked if Young and the jail administrator continue to accept new inmates, fail to transfer all current inmates or submit a plan that does not adequately address the health and safety concerns.
Maine’s jail standards are set by the DOC commissioner. Jails are required to meet all mandatory standards and at least 90% of the essential standards.
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